Tag Archives: education

Malala Yousafzai and the Right to Female Education

Do you ever feel like not going to school because you’d rather be at home doing something better than sitting in a classroom all day? Well most people don’t realize how lucky they are to be getting an education. In Swat Valley, Pakistan girls aren’t allowed to go to school. They stay home and help their mothers. The Taliban were threatening the lives of families that sent their daughters to school. It seemed like the Taliban had complete control over everyone, but not quite.

Malala Yousafzai, the daughter of a school owner was only 11 years old when she spoke up about how the right to education should not be taken away. The Taliban threatened her life but that didn’t stop her. She snuck into school every day with only a few other girls because to her education means everything. One day on the way home from school her bus was attacked by the Taliban. Two other girls were injured but she was the target. Her speeches about education angered them and they wanted to stop her. Malala was shot in the head and many thought that would be the end, but due to the gunman’s shaky hand she survived. Malala is now 18, an author and the youngest person to receive the Nobel peace Prize. She has left Pakistan but travels around the world fighting for the right of education and inspiring millions of people with her story and beliefs. So next time you wish you didn’t have to go to school just remember that other people risk their lives for an education.

~Janna

By Hand or By Keyboard?

The new common core standards have eliminated handwriting from the curriculum in American classrooms. Now that electronic devices are being brought to classrooms, penmanship has dropped from the list of necessities for children to learn. Some argue that handwriting brings out creativity and intelligence in students. The main two reasons why many teachers fight to keep penmanship. The first is that many tests require writing and reading from paper. The second reason is for comprehension – students can slow down their thinking process by writing out every word. Others say that typing on devices is neater and faster for kids. Seventy-eight percent of teachers surveyed think that using devices to work in school develops expression and creativity for students.

Students should be allowed to use devices for their work, but penmanship should not be completely forgotten. Many teens already have electronic devices available for use in school so teachers should take advantage of them. Also, it is much easier for teachers to read and edit student’s work on computers. On the other hand, there are still many things in life that are written down on paper so students should know how to handwrite to accomplish these tasks. Overall, common core standards need to accept the new technology, but not eliminate the older way of writing.

~Georgia

Computer Science Education Week

This week is Computer Science education week. Many schools around the U.S have been honoring this week by using online learning tools in the classroom. Douglas Rushkoff, CNN.com column writer, had adressed Congress members this past Wednesday, about teaching more classes about computers in schools. Rushkoff is very concerned about the misuse of today’s technology. “When we got language, we didn’t just learn how to listen, but how to speak. When we got text, we didn’t just learn how to read, but how to write. Now that we have computers, we’re learning how to use them — but not how to program them.” (Rushkoff) Rushkoff feels that the school is not taking hold of it’s technological advantages towards education, and should be using everything they can to teach the new age of children. Another thing that he strongly believes should also be going on in the classroom is changing the curriculum for computer classes. He would like to change this so that computer classes teach you how to program a computer rather than use it. He feels that programming computers would be more productive for the students of this time.

I strongly believe in his feelings as well. I agree with Mr. Rushkoff because i also think that computer classes do not teach much to the students other than using the computer that could be beneficial for their futures. I also think that it would be a good experience for the students to know just where Google and many other sites they use come from. It may also help the students better appreciate the things they get to use everyday. Another great benefit of changing the curriculum to computer programming is, with the experience you gain in the classroom you can get a job later on in life. Computer programming classes can also teach students to respect school equipment after learning the long process it takes to make it.

~Victoria Torres

Chicago Strikes Back

The city of Chicago was hit with a sudden public school strike that left over 300,000 students without a teacher. This Monday a sudden spotlight on rising tensions nationally over teachers conditions was forcefully brought up due to a strike in Chicago. This put the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, in a tight situation on what to do.  Thousands of teachers dressed in red t-shirts swarmed through downtown and marching outside of schools across the city to put their point across about teachers being judged by their teaching.  This strike was Chicago’s first strike in 25 years. When will it end?

I believe that, although teachers have a duty to teach their students, they have the right to be on strike. My stepdad is a teacher and is in the same situation with teachers pay depending on their teaching style though evaluation. Teachers shouldn’t be judged by how they teach or how their student’s perform. Tieing into this would be equal pay not only due to race and sex but also how you work. It doesn’t add up. My only question is where’s the next strike going to hit?

~Erik Galuska

Do you Want to be a Flight Attendant?

Getting started as a flight attendant is as simple as meeting the basic requirements like minimum age, height, vision, citizenship and customer service experience. The only schooling required for the flight attendant position is a high school diploma.  Questions at the airline interview are the most important factor for the recruiters, because it allows them to get a real glimpse of who you are, and what you know about customer service. Some sample questions include: Why do you want to be a flight attendant, and, if you are working onboard the aircraft when you are approached by a passenger who tells you he/she cannot sit in the seat they are assigned because of the ethnicity of the other passenger. What do you do? All airlines have a minimum age requirement, usually between the ages of 18 and 21 years old. The requirement depends on the airline. Not every airline will require that you already have a passport when you apply, but some will. As soon as you are hired as a flight attendant, you will need a passport, and having a valid passport at your interview is a plus. The incredible travel privileges of flying for free normally extend to the Flight Attendant, spouse, children, parents, and other extended family members. Many airlines now allow Flight Attendants to extend the travel privileges to unrelated friends, neighbors, etc.. Also, once you become a flight attendant you become eligible for interline travel. You, your family and friends will receive discounts of 25-90% on tickets on nearly every airline in the world, as well as cruise lines, resorts and hotels.

I have always wanted to wake up to a job that I am excited to attend to. The thought of waking up every morning and flying to a new destination around the world is amazing. I have always been amazed by airplanes. I’ve always loved waking up early in the morning to go to the airport. Even though the yearly salary is only 16,000-23,000 dollars a year, at least I would have a job that I love, discounts on hotels, free flights for my family, only have to work 15-16 days a month, and the trip/flight is like a vacation with a fully paid hotel stay! Unless you dislike airplanes, why wouldn’t you want to be a flight attendant? Travel the world, visit places you’ve never seen before. Become a flight attendant!

~Sarah Zarra

Do video games pose a threat to student’s work?

The topic of video games is very interesting but can be a huge issue at times. For example, I’m trying to work (writing, reading, and using the computer) but I can’t do all of that when my brother is watching TV in the backround or if my PlayStation is in front of me. The next minute I find myself playing the PlayStation 3 because it tempted me when I was supposed to be doing my homework. In my opinion, students should play video games, but in moderation. Too much is distracting, like my example, but playing a bit every week is good for stimulating the brain.You’ve heard my opinion, so what do you think? Should video games be a part of students’ everyday lives, or be balanced and played certain days of the week?

The reason I chose to moderate playing of electronics is because I have experience with video games dropping my grades.It was clear to my parents that my grades were dropping, not drastically, but slowly, and noticeably. They suspected I was playing too many video games and they posed a distraction to my studying. As you would expect, they took away my Wii, 3DS, PlayStation 3, etc… for about a month. It clearly showed on Powerschool that my grades had slightly improved. Thus, coming to my conclusion that video game playing should be balanced and only be played on the weekends and a few times during the school week. If you wish to be persuaded a bit more look at these:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2007-09-18-videogame-GPA_N.htm
http://www.videojug.com/interview/computer-gaming-addiction

~Christos Bagtzoglou

Is All We Learn In School Really Necessary?

Almost every kid attends school  for 12 years. From 1st to 12th grade. We have to stay for 6-7 hours a day learning different topics. Is everything we have learned really going to matter in 10 or 20 years? I don’t think it will.

For the most part, usually choosing a career will only involve using one or two subjects from your past. An example is becoming a lawyer. You would only need to know about the Constitution and other important documents from our country’s history. Will you need math or science? Not at all. So, why are we stuck learning about every subject when in reality, we will probably not use most of them? Most people would say it’s because they don’t know what they want to be when they grow up. Well, I’m sure there are many people who have a general idea in the field they plan on going into. I, for one want to go into the medical field. The medical field only requires math, science, and Latin. Not really much else. What’s the point of having to learn and do all this work when in the future we won’t need it?

~Alexa Kareco

Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In School?

Cell phones are what just about everyone uses these days to communicate with their friends, family, and even people they don’t really know.  Every kid always has their cell phone in their pocket or not farther away then a couple of feet.  Every week, new kinds of cell phones come out .  But the big question is; “should cell phones be allowed in school?”

The point of school is to learn new things that will help us succeed throughout our entire life.  School is really not the place to be texting someone right across the room or down the hall.  It distracts us and keeps us from learning.  Without learning we would be nowhere in life. If kids, and even adults, used cell phones during school hours or during a class we would get nowhere in school.  Every moment we would hear vibrating or some sort of annoying beeping sound. That would then distract the entire class.

Although cell phones are good in case of emergencies or if you need to get in contact with someone quickly, they do not belong in school. Especially if your in the middle of a class.   It’s okay to keep one in your locker turned off, and then after you get out of school or after last class you take it out, but otherwise they are just a distraction and then going to school is pointless.

I believe that cell phones should not be allowed during classes, and I think it should stay that way.  Although I would love to have my phone during class, you have to think about the long run.  Learning is important and we need to have it in order to succeed.

~Ally Braun